A Terrifying Horror Movie That Every ‘90s Barney Kid Needs to See Is Arriving This Week

2026 has been an especially great year for horror so far, with some of the biggest hits of the year belonging to the genre. Obsession and Backrooms were two of the most talked-about films from the first half of the year, with them being so influential that they brought about discussions about how Hollywood as a whole is changing. Meanwhile, other incredible horror movies have been sprinkled throughout the year, such as Send Help, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, Leviticus, Hokum, and Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma.

It doesn’t look like the horror train is stopping anytime soon, as the rest of the year has some incredibly exciting projects lined up. Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil looks incredible and combines one of the biggest horror directors with the biggest horror video game franchise. Plus, other upcoming horror movies like Robert Eggers’ Werwulf and Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus Zero will bring back some of history’s most iconic movie monsters. However, many fans of the genre may overlook one of the most unique horror movies of the year, and it comes out this weekend.

Casper Kelly’s Buddy Hits Theaters This Weekend

As of writing this, director Casper Kelly’s Buddy has opened in theaters, and it looks like it could be incredible. The trailers have kept things vague, which is exciting, but what we do know highlights how fun the film could be. Buddy is centered on an in-universe children’s TV program named It’s Buddy!, which seems to be a parody of real-life programs like Barney & Friends. However, the orange unicorn host of the program seems to have a dark underlying secret – one that may endanger the children around him.

The cast of Buddy is star-studded, which is one of the most exciting things about the film. The Penguin‘s Cristin Milioti plays Grace, and That ’70s Show‘s Topher Grace plays Ben, a couple who investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding the program. Meanwhile, Key & Peele‘s Keegan-Michael Key voices Buddy, Ratatouille‘s Patton Oswalt voices a backpack named Strappy, Knives Out‘s Michael Shannon voices a ventriloquist doll named Willie, and Looney Tunes‘ Eric Bauza voices a variety of other characters who appear on It’s Buddy!.

Buddy premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, which led to its acquisition by Roadside Attractions and Saban Films, which are distributing the movie. As of this writing, Buddy has 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is incredibly high for a movie of its caliber. Tons of cheap, poorly-made movies have attempted to take beloved children’s icons and parody them as horror films, and almost none of them turn out good. So, it’s surprising how well Buddy is doing; it makes one wonder how different it is.

If you’re someone who grew up with Barney & Friends or similar mascot costume shows, Buddy is definitely something you should check out. The impressive marketing campaign for the film proves that the film manages to perfectly recapture the vibe and tropes of programs like this, meaning that it may also understand the underlying creepiness surrounding it. The fact that the trailers have remained so vague is a good reason for viewers to see it opening weekend, as there are most likely tons of details and fun moments that will be spoiled shortly after the film’s release.

Buddy’s Director Worked On Some Of The Best Animated Projects From Your Childhood

One of the most fun aspects of Buddy is that writer and director Casper Kelly actually has a background in children’s entertainment. Early in his career, Kelly wrote for Nickelodeon’s CatDog as well as various projects for major children’s franchises like Looney Tunes and Scooby-Doo. So, Kelly clearly knows how to make a good children’s TV show, which is half the work of a horror parody of children’s TV. If Buddy doesn’t feel like it understands the thing that it is turning horrific, the film won’t work. So, it’s good to know that Buddy is already in good hands.

Kelly has also worked on projects that have turned classic cartoons on their head, such as Adult Swim programs like Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law and Aqua Teen Hunger Force, both of which are adult animated shows that play off of tropes from classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons. On top of that, Kelly has a horror background, writing a section of the 2018 Nic Cage film Mandy, as well as writing and directing the “Fun Size” segment in V/H/S/Halloween. So, Kelly has experience in all the ingredients needed to make Buddy great, making the film one of the most exciting horror releases of the year.

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